


One Exit, One Entrance

by Terygon



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Angst?, Constructive Criticism Welcome, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2019-01-25 15:27:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12534972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Terygon/pseuds/Terygon
Summary: Trinket thinks it's time for a change. Vex disagrees.





	One Exit, One Entrance

**Author's Note:**

> Was working on a new story for 'Swappin' Bodies', but wrote this instead. See y'all after NaNoWriMo!

“Vex'ahlia, have you finished reading the..?” Lady Cassandra's head tilted as her voice trailed off. While it would have been impossible to still be surprised at seeing the ranger walking the halls with her bear, given the many years they'd lived in Whitestone, Cass believed she could honestly say she'd never seen Trinket dragging Vex along by the hand.

“I'm sorry, darling, but it will have to wait. Trinket wants me somewhere, and he's being unusually insistent.”

Cassandra intended to respond, but by the time her mouth was open to speak, Trinket was down the stairs and out the door, his ranger companion stumbling along beside him. She shook her head and returned to the desk in her office. She's find out what was going on later, or she wouldn't. It was the way of Vox Machina.

Vex let Trinket pull her for a while, but when they reached the snow dusted outer gates of the castle, she dug her heels in. Literally.

“Trinket, stop,” she ordered. “You brought me my hunting coat. The least you can do is let me put it on.”

The huge brown (well, more gray now) bear rocked side to side on his front paws, excited in a way she hadn't seen since he was a cub. Her worry faded as her curiosity sharpened. When she had her coat fastened, he went to take her hand again, but she pulled it gently away.

“That's not needed, my love. I'm with you.”

That was all that was needed to send him barreling down the path and into the forest. Vex followed at his pace, pleased that their joints seemed to have aged at similar rates. Her knees had taken to complaining about the years of adventuring they'd been subjected to, but since Trinket's shoulders seemed to agree, they could still run the forest trails the way they always had, albeit a little slower.

Their run came to an end at the mouth of a cavern deep in the woods. Familiar to Vex, it was where Trinket's family hibernated over the years. He brought her here to show off the births of his cubs, then his daughter's cubs. Oh, of course.

“Geegaw's had a cub? Why didn't you just say so?”

Trinket ignored the question as he clambered up into the mouth of the cave, with a little help from Vex's shoulder. He returned the favor with his hind paw being an extra handhold as she climbed.

They walked side by side into the den proper, where Vex held back, crouching to reduce her apparent size in case the new mother was nervous. Trinket went over to nuzzle his granddaughter, then gently lick the... _two_ cubs curled up beside her.

“Twins? How wonderful!”

The slightly larger one leaned against... his? Yes, he was a boy... against his mother, but the smaller of the two toddled over to the strange intruder. He... no, she squawked after bumping her nose against Vex's knee, then she planted both forepaws on it, trying to climb into the half elf's lap.

Vex was delighted. None of the other cubs had wanted to play at their first meeting. Watching Geegaw for her reaction, she lifted the brave little girl into her arms. Vex ignored the chin licks, only correcting the cub when licks turned to bites.

“Geegaw, they're adorable. You did such a good job.” She risked turning the cub over to tickle her fuzzy belly, getting licked hands, nibbled fingers and adorable full-body wiggling as reward. The little male edged forward, though not quite close enough for her to touch.

Trinket nudged her shoulder, his way of telling her he had something to say. Vex cast Speak With Animals and went back to playing with the little girl.

_What is her name?_

“Their names? Well, let's see. How about Knick for that big boy over there, and I think this sweetie is Knack.” She hadn't named all the cubs he'd brought her to meet, but first litters were special.

 _Good._ His chest rumbled almost in a purr. _She is the next._

Distracted as she held the newly christened Knack up and received cub kisses on her nose, Vex almost missed it. “The next? The next what?”

_Your next guardian._

“Whatever do I need with a guardian? I've got–” Her jaw dropped as his meaning hit her. “Oh, Trinket, no!”

_Oh yes, my Vex. I'm too old to protect you as I should. I must pass the task on to the next. To her._

“But I don't need you to protect me. I need – ”

_But I need you to be protected. Percy Dear can't be with you all the time. You don't let his sister give you a guard. I'm too old. She is the next. You protect her, then she protects you._

She almost couldn't ask the next question. “Are you leaving me?”

He nodded.

“Please don't!” Vex couldn't stop the words from her mouth, the quaver in her voice, or the tears running down her face. “I need you. I'll take the guard, whatever you say. Just don't leave me alone.”

 _Silly Vex. You have Percy Dear, your cubs, Vox Machina. You know you're never alone._ His words became deeper, more intense. _And my heart is always with you. You know that._

His breathing was getting harsher and faster, and when he stopped talking, a little moan crept out from the back of his throat. Now that she was paying attention, she could see this was as hard on him as it was on her, and she wasn't making it easier on either of them. She sniffed and wiped her cheeks.

“Of course, you're right. I am being silly. You do what you need to do. I'll be fine with my new guardian.”

 _Yes, you will._ Trinket touched his nose to hers.

“Just... just remember I love you, OK? And I'll miss you.” Vex wrapped her arms around his neck.

His head bent over her back, Trinket snorted. He repeated, “Silly Vex. I'll always be here.”

* * *

Vex'ahlia managed to trudge through Castle Whitestone's front doors and barely up the front stairs, but that was as far as she could push herself. Vaguely aware that the hallway needed to be left clear, she shuffled two steps to the right and collapsed, her back against the wall, Knack in her arms licking at the tears on her cheeks.

Hearing the door open and close, Cassandra leaned out her office door.

“Vex, have you–?” She cut herself off at seeing the ranger curled around herself. Putting the presence of a cub together with the absence of the elderly bear she expected, along with a devastated Vex, Cass bit back a gasp. She turned to the nearest guard. “Lord Percival should be in his workshop. Get him up here if you have to knock him unconscious and drag him.”

“Unconscious, my lady?” The guards' voice wavered just the smallest bit.

“Never mind. Just tell him Lady Vex'ahlia needs him in the upstairs foyer.”

Percy dashed as best he could up from his workshop in the basement, coming to a stop when he caught sight of his wife. Since Cassandra would have summoned clerics if Vex had been injured physically, he needed to calm himself so he could help her emotionally. He walked over and sat beside her, draping his arm over her shoulders to draw her to his chest. The little furball in her lap growled at the intrusion, but Vex ignored it until she started nipping.

“Stop that, little one. He's mine, too.”

Percy took that as his cue. “So who is this young lad?”

“Lass, actually.” Vex sniffed. “This is Knack. She and her brother, Knick, were born to Geegaw over the winter.”

“Which makes her...”

“Trinket's great grand-daughter, yes.” Despite her best efforts, her voice cracked on the name. Knack whined and tried to snuggle closer while Percy hugged her tighter.

“I'm so sorry, my love.”

“He left me alone, Percy. Like Vax.” She pulled back to see his face, desperate to make him understand as the tears spilled. “They both left me. Everyone I love leaves. You will, too. Unless I do something stupid, you'll leave me, too. I'll be all alone.”

He turned so he could hold her face in his hands and dry her cheeks with his thumbs. “I know I can't help now. I'm sorry, but try to remember this when you're able. You are never alone, and never will be. I know you miss Vax, and now Trinket, in ways I hope I'll never experience, but you are never alone.

“I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. I've got some years in me yet, so you don't have to worry about that now.” He kissed her forehead, trying to ease some soothing in with the contact. “Even on that far away day, you won't be alone. Vox Machina, our children, Cass, Velora, the entire population of Whitestone, Gilmore, Allura and Kima, all our friends.

“And if somehow you should ever be apart from every one of them, you still won't be alone. The three of us, your mother, everyone you've ever cared about, we're all right here.” He dropped his hand to tap her chest over her heart.

Her eyes met his again, the piercing pain in them dulled to a throbbing anguish. “They walked away. First Vax, then Trinket. They turned their backs and walked away. I love them so much, with everything I am, and they could just walk away from me.”

“Oh, my love.” Percy didn't even think about reminding her that neither had had a choice. He just pulled her back to his chest.

They sat there, gently rocking, until Knack started a sort of coughing bark and thumping her shoulder against Vex's midriff.

Percy tilted his head. “What's this about?”

“I think she has something to say?” Vex more asked than said as she extricated her arm so she could cast. The spell caught the cub mid-grumble.

_-py. How?_

“I'm sorry, darling. I came in on the middle.”

Knack looked up and the ranger would have sworn she scowled. _Lord Papa Trinket said I should help you be happy. How do I do that?_

“Lord Papa Trinket?”

_Father of my mother's mother? The one who brings you to me?_

“I know who he is. I've just never heard his full bear title.” Vex was surprised to find herself biting back something that might almost have been a smile.

The little one looked taken aback. _What do you call him?_

“Just Trinket.”

 _Such disrespect!_ The cub shifted rather quickly from scandalized to thoughtful. _But then you are the Vex, Mother Without Fur. I suppose it's OK._

Vex sat back, stunned, until Percy asked, “What is it?”

“I apparently have more titles than I knew.” She would have continued, but Knack nudged her impatiently.

_So how do I help?_

Vex surprised herself by giving a real, if more than a little tear-dampened, chuckle. “I think, little one, at least for now all you have to do is be yourself.”


End file.
